Ann continues her series of books that offer new insights into traditional styles of canvas stitch treatments. The topic of this book is couching techniques with special emphasis on laid fillings. Although Ann chose this subject as the designer for ANG's 2004 Stitch of the Month program, those segments were simply an introduction to the much broader scope of this book.

Like Ann's previous book on backgrounds, the new book will include a CD with overall and detail views of examples of her work and that of 40 other needle artists who use laid fillings and other couching techniques regularly. Many of the designs have traditional metal thread techniques like or nué, pattern couching, couched pairs of Japanese gold and trailing that originated in historical eastern and western styles of silk and metal embroidery. These will be discussed, but the main focus of the extensive pattern section of the book will be laid fillings.

Some of the patterns are "classics" that are given a new twist in the contemporary designs where they are used. Many are Ann's original composite patterns with couched elements. Some innovative concepts are introduced to make laying diagonal tramé rows easier, and some unconventional approaches to the stitch sequences serve to conceal traveling threads and allow convenient traveling between these rows in open fillings.

Additional features of the 150-page book include a chapter of ideas for developing original laid fillings and instructions for the small geometric design shown here with the cover.

In essence, the book is a study of contemporary uses of couching techniques in twentieth century (and beyond!) American embroidery along with a collection of laid fillings from the author's work and that of many of the featured artists.